Practical Exercises and Demonstrations on Identifying and Analysing Forces - JSS2 Basic technology Lesson Note

Exercise 1: Tug of War

• Objective: Understand balanced and unbalanced forces.
• Activity: Have two teams pull on a rope with equal force. When the forces are balanced, the rope does not move. If one team pulls harder, the forces become unbalanced, and the rope moves towards the stronger team.
• Analysis: Discuss how balanced forces kept the rope stationary and how unbalanced forces caused it to move.

Exercise 2: Hanging Object

• Objective: Observe balanced forces in action.
• Activity: Hang a weight from a string. The force of gravity pulling the weight down is balanced by the tension in the string pulling it up.
• Analysis: Explain how these forces are balanced, keeping the weight stationary.

Exercise 3: Pushing a Box

• Objective: Examine the effects of unbalanced forces.
• Activity: Push a box on a smooth surface. Apply force in one direction and observe the box accelerating in that direction.
• Analysis: Describe how the applied force overcomes friction, resulting in unbalanced forces and causing the box to move.

Exercise 4: Car on a Ramp

• Objective: Analyse forces on an inclined plane.
• Activity: Place a toy car on a ramp. Let it roll down and observe the motion.
• Analysis: Discuss how gravity creates an unbalanced force, causing the car to accelerate down the ramp.

Exercise 5: Force Diagrams

• Objective: Practice drawing and interpreting force diagrams.
• Activity: Provide different scenarios (e.g., a book on a table, a person pushing a cart). Have students draw force diagrams showing all forces acting on the objects.
• Analysis: Identify if the forces are balanced or unbalanced and predict the resulting motion.